Before treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the tick transmitting the disease must be carefully removed. If one finds a tick crawling on his skin, it should not be pulled off and crushed. It should be removed by burning it with a match, burying it, or flushing it down the toilet. Once the tick is removed, the individual may be prescribed an antibiotic medication to completely cure the infection. Treatment within five days of developing symptoms creates a greater chance of survival.

Preventing Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be very simple. One should wear long sleeves and pants tucked into his socks to avoid ticks crawling up the legs. One should also use insect repellant on a regular basis to help keep ticks away. Having a yard fertilized with chemicals to prevent ticks from entering the yard is another preventative measure. Also, if one goes outside or into the woods, it is very important to check for ticks on the body. If an individual does find a tick on his or her body it must be removed in the proper way. Also if one enters a tick infested area, he must wear light colored clothing so it is easy to find the ticks on his clothes. It is very important to cover areas of skin exposed to ticks. If these areas are covered it will be harder for the ticks to get onto the skin. Checking for ticks will greatly reduce the likelihood of contracting Rocky Mountain spotted fever.